Ledbury Town Football Club

Match report

Morgan Skidmore keeps sustained defensive pressure on an opposing forward with Josh Burns and Tom Boyle being seen upfield (📸: Chris Ponter)

Herefordshire Football League Premier Division leaders Ledbury Town blotted their copybook for the first real time this season with a shock 2-2 draw against bottom-of-the-league newcomers Gloucester City Under 21s this week during an evening encounter under the floodlights at Meadow Park – the first time many Ledbury fans will have visited this modern 4G pitch.

Although by no means a perfect first half from Ian Merrick’s unbeaten outfit, with a number of defensive and midfield shortcomings being present, it all seemed like business as usual after it took a 77th minute wonder strike from Tom Boyle to clinch a crucial 1-0 victory against arch rivals Hereford Pegasus Reserves at Old School Lane four days previously, with Town going 2-0 up by half-time courtesy of goals from Ryan Pugh and Boyle.

The second period was a very different story however, with three changes to the visiting line-up over the break failing to yield further goals as the Gloucester youths stunned Ledbury players and supporters alike with Adam Milne claiming a goal back on the 60th minute.

This initial shock turned to dismay four minutes later when Matt Tristram inadvertently helped the city-based squad out through an unlucky deflection over Town goalkeeper Alex Goode into the top left-hand corner of the net, leading to the hosts recording a first draw of the season after six defeats as visiting fans left the impressive stadium that night perplexed as to just how their team hand managed to drop two points against the side occupying the bottom spot in the table.

With the Under 21s engaging in a pre-kick off huddle very reminiscent of the pre-match ritual performed by outright Herefordshire FA County League Premier Division champions of last season Hartpury University, Boyle began the affair with an early free kick which was saved only through a diving save from the home keeper at the far post, before a fifth minute goalscoring opportunity for the prolific Ledbury striker was denied by a defender on the far side of the box as Goode yelled at his main marksman to use his left foot.

Referee for the evening Robert Duffy refused to give anything Town’s way when Josh Burns appeared to be brought down in the box by the opposition, before man of the match for a second consecutive occasion for the black and white shirts Tom Trigg made a good deflection in the box back downfield as a frustrated Goode called for his side to up their tempo.

Sure enough, on a very-much-unlucky thirteenth minute of play for Gloucester, Pugh leapt in at the near post to sneak the ball past the Under 21s goaltender to get his side off the mark, even if Goode was then required to make a relatively comfortable catch in order to seize an overhead free kick from the hosts.

A real let-off occurred for Merrick’s men however on the 16th minute when Goode was forced to make a brilliant close-range block from the ground in order to stop the opposition’s first real threat of the night, before a Gloucester cross was softly nodded back out of the box by an Under 21s forward to one of his team-mates, only for the home recipient to be successfully challenged by Pugh as a furious Goode continued to make his feelings clear over his side’s substandard performance.

Once again however, the visiting keeper’s wishes were addressed when Boyle swiftly went on to slip a superb free kick from Ben Febery on the near wing past the opposing goaltender to double Ledbury’s lead, only for Goode to have to make another solid block after a Gloucester forward made it through the defensive trio of Lewis Williams, James Kenny and Trigg.

Goode suddenly fell in pain during the taking of a goal kick to see the game stopped for a good few minutes to allow joint assistant Town coach Scott Roberts to administer the treatment, before some good defensive work from Morgan Skidmore kept the Under 21s out at the near corner of the box.

A corner ball from Cosmin Micula was easily met by a home defender on the far side of the box as the opposition made their first substitution of the evening with Benjamin Areli coming on with fifteen minutes to go until the interval, before the visiting defence leapt for a free kick delivered by the Under 21s without making the connection as Febery fell in the box in the process.

A long-throw in from the hosts was nodded clear by Williams before he blocked a cross from the near wing, with the resulting corner ball being struck to the far side of the box with no-one there to receive it as Skidmore put enough sustained pressure on an opposing attacker coming down the near side of the box to allow Williams to get into position and block the cross with his shoulder blade.

Ledbury captain that night Dale Taylor then brought down a Gloucester forward in a relatively soft manner to see the controversially-awarded free kick bounce off the chest of Goode, with the ball only just being seized in time from the raised foot of the Under 21s striker right in front of the Town goaltender as the anguish of visiting supporters and visible frustration of the Ledbury management trio became very apparent when their side slipped a final first-half effort just shy of the near post.

Tristram, Asten Griffiths and Chris Wickham all entered the fray for Williams, Skidmore and Micula over the interval, as the hosts immediately began the latter half of play by firing the ball narrowly over the woodwork with Town replying through Pugh being denied by the opposing keeper at very close range.

A Gloucester defender headed an aerial ball away from Burns towards the far side of the box as the visiting striker couldn’t quite reach the ball before the Under 21s goaltender rushed out to seize it at the edge of the box, before Duffy again neglected to give the decision Ledbury’s way on the 55th minute when Pugh was sent tumbling while in pursuit of a home defender on the ball.

Burns’ cross from the far corner flag was nodded clear of the box by another member of the opposing back-line with the follow-up shot from Febery soaring wide of the far post, before Town’s somewhat lacklustre display at times so far that night was punished when Milne found Gloucester’s first goal.

Regular captain of the more rural outfit Joel Skyers was brought on for Pugh as Febery briefly came down with an injury, before the visitors were knocked for six when Tristram’s unfortunate deflection in amongst a scramble in the box led to the ball being sent over Goode and into the top corner to see bottom of the league equalize with top of the league.

Febery then went on a run down the far wing to see his cross to Boyle being intercepted by a defender, before Boyle was flagged offside twice by assistant referee Stephen Cook running the far sideline either side of Williams returning to the action for Kenny, as Pat Morgan replaced Burns in a frantic change-up of Ledbury’s personnel.

The 75th minute saw the Under 21s goaltender block a close-range effort from Skyers as Cook raised a third offside flag regardless, before a free kick from the hosts was struck against the right shoulder of Griffiths forming the two-man Town wall with Wickham.

Febery received his side’s only yellow card of the affair for making undue contact with the opposing keeper after he caught a cross-shot from Morgan at the far corner flag, and, after Febery and Boyle were both denied chances going into the final ten minutes, Goode had to perform a risky volley in order to keep the ball away from three incoming attackers.

A final strong effort from Boyle was clasped by the Gloucester keeper at the near post as Skyers skidded into him on the ground much to the vocal annoyance of the defender sliding in with him, but, despite the protestations to Duffy from the Under 21s player, the celebration of his team’s first draw of the season must have been consolation enough as a deflated Ledbury side slunk off with a result that night which was as disappointing as it was baffling and bizarre.

Despite this hugely unexpected result against the bottom table holders, who certainly didn’t play on the night like a team who had lost all of their games so far this season, Merrick’s squad maintain a sizeable eight-point lead at the top of the table as they seek to make amends on Saturday with the final game of their ‘on the road’ week of three consecutive away matches, taking on mid-table Westfields Development at allpay.park who are also new to the league this season (KO 2:30pm).

Town will begin November back at home on Bonfire Night with a second game of the season against ninth-placed Fownhope (KO 2:00pm), whom they defeated 3-0 away back in mid-September with goals from Skidmore, Boyle and returning forward Pat Morgan as veteran defender Tom Watkins was named man of the match for the visitors.